Saturday, May 4, 8:30 am – 12:00 noon – Back Bay’s Annual Alley Rally

Make a difference in your neighborhood, one alley at a time. The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay’s City Services Committee organizes Alley Rally annually as a neighborhood cleanup in conjunction with Mayor Walsh’s “Love Your Block.” Join your neighbors in an effort to keep Back Bay beautiful by spending three hours sweeping up our alleys and side streets. All ages welcome and no rsvp necessary.

From 8:30 – 9 meet at the Clarendon Street Playground for coffee, juice and breakfast provided by local Back Bay sponsors. Then, at 9, divide into teams and head off to lean alleys and side streets. Gloves, trash bags, brooms, and other tools will be provided by the City of Boston’s Department of Public Works. Then, at noon, enjoy a free lunch and raffle for all volunteers back at the Clarendon Street Playground. For additional information contact Jason Post at jason.b.post@gmail.com.

Alley Rally has been sponsored by NABB since 1967. In the “old days” there was a lot more to do. The neighborhood was a mix of student buildings, rooming houses, and single family houses, with just a few newly created condominiums in existence. Property owners came out and worked, and in the evening NABB sponsored a dinner at a member’s home for the volunteers. As years passed, fewer residents began showing up, but our wonderful area fraternity brothers lent their muscle to some of the heavy lifting. It’s time to turn back the clock and see more owners out on the streets. The neighborhood is much cleaner than it was in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and volunteers will meet so many good people in this community effort. The more people you know, the safer the Back Bay will be. We urge you to consider participating. Thanks to sponsors Engle & Volkers, Star Market, and Quality Mart.

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Wednesday, May 8, 7:00 pm – Pollination Networks and Ecosystem Restoration

For almost two decades, pollinators have been declining in abundance, species richness, and geographic distribution at an unprecedented rate worldwide. These declines pose a significant threat to global biodiversity due to the keystone role that pollinators play in terrestrial ecosystems – more pollinator species means more plant species, and more plant species means more food, shelter, and nest sites for wildlife at other trophic levels. Yet, we presently lack the information on pollinator-plant connections or ‘networks’ at the species level needed to fully assess the impact of human activities on ecosystem health. Please join Dr. Robert J. Gegear for a discussion on how the concept of pollination networks can be used to develop effective ecosystem restoration strategies at different spatial scales. The May 8 program of the Athol Bird and Nature Club will begin at 7 pm at The Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street, Athol. The program is free and open to the public. For more information visit http://atholbirdclub.org.

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Saturday, May 11, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – The Gardeners’ Fair and Plant Sale

The Gardeners’ Fair and Plant Sale at Mass Hort’s home, The Gardens at Elm Bank, includes a variety of vendors carrying everything you need to plan, dig, plant, and enjoy your home garden space. 

The Gardeners’ Fair is your opportunity to find rare and unusual perennials, trees and shrubs; ready-to-plant herbs and vegetables; tomato varieties by the dozens; and also a chance to hear talks by an expert, find unique garden tools, garden ornaments and other gardening accessories.

We’ll have activities for kids, food for sale, garden tours, The New England Unit of the Herb Society will be leading tours of the Herb Garden, and Massachusetts Master Gardeners will be hosting an “Ask a Master Gardener” info booth and testing garden soil– bring your samples!

Vendors from around New England will be selling anything you can think of to help you plant your dream garden. Free for members, $5 per car for the general public. Members may enter at 8 am, general public at 9 am, and the May 11 event will end at 3 pm.

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Saturday, May 4, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Tour of OuchHouse

The OuchHouse is a collection of spiny cactus, euphorbia and other succulents located in Carlisle, Massachusetts. There are about 300 plants in all, ranging in size from the 14 foot tall 3-armed Saguaro down to the humble quarter inch tall field of Lithops. There are thirteen varieties of Opuntia, all growing like mad. The opposite of an oasis, the OuchHouse is a dry spot in the midst of wetlands. Join Tower Hill Botanic Garden, garden owner Marc Raibert and cactus and succulent expert Art Scarpa for a tour of this unique greenhouse on Saturday, May 4 from 1 – 2:30. There will be plenty of time for Q&A. Directions will be sent upon registration; carpooling from Tower Hill is optional. $20 for Tower Hill members, $24 for nonmembers. Register at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—tour-of-ouchhouse-carlisle-ma

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Wednesday, May 1, 6:00 pm – Citizen Preservation Award Ceremony

We are pleased to announce that Garden Club of the Back Bay member Susan D. Prindle will be honored in May.

The Boston Landmarks Commission has awarded longtime NABB member and co-chair of the Architecture Committee, Sue Prindle,  the 2019 Citizen Preservation Award in the Individual Lifetime Achievement category.
The Citizen Preservation Award is given in recognition of the indispensable role the volunteers play in making the preservation of Boston’s cultural heritage and historic resources a reality. The award will be presented to Sue Prindle at the Preservation Month Kick-Off event on May 1, 2019 at 6:00 pm at the New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 99-101 Newbury Street. Friends and neighbors are invited to attend but space is limited.  We realize this conflicts with our Twilight Garden Party – Caring for Our City Trees, but we hope you’ll congratulate Sue when you see her. To RSVP: click here

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Native Plant Trust Awarded Advanced Conservation Practitioner Accreditation

Native Plant Trust, formerly known as New England Wild Flower Society, announces it is one of the first organizations in the world awarded Advanced Conservation Practitioner Accreditation by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). BGCI’s Advanced Conservation Practitioner Accreditation recognizes botanic institutions with significant conservation impact and with work that supports local, national or global conservation goals.

“Plant conservation is a core part of our mission at Native Plant Trust. We are honored to be among the first organizations recognized by BGCI for high professional standards and for achievements in our plant conservation program,” Executive Director Debbi Edelstein said. “The new Advanced Conservation Practitioner Accreditation provides an important framework for strengthening conservation initiatives and enhancing collaboration on policies throughout the worldwide network.”

BGCI accreditation ensures that gardens adhere to international standards. The Advanced Practitioner Accreditation includes a Conservation Collections Assessment by BGCI, and applications are reviewed through a rigorous external review process that culminates with an endorsement by members of BGCI’s international Advisory Council, a global leadership forum for botanic gardens comprising 30 garden directors from six continents.

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Sunday, May 12, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Lilac Sunday

Of the thousands of flowering plants in the Arboretum, only one, the lilac, is singled out each year for a daylong celebration. Mainly located on the edge of Bussey Hill Road in the heart of the landscape, the lilac collection at the Arnold Arboretum is among the premier collections of these plants in North America. Lilac Sunday has been celebrated at the Arnold Arboretum since 1908. Tours of the lilacs and family activities are available from 10 – 3 on Sunday, May 12. Picnicking is permitted on this day only, but food must be brought into the Arboretum – no food vendors will be allowed on site. The landscape is open from dawn to dusk. For more information visit http://arboretum.harvard.edu.

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Thursday, May 2, 7:00 pm – Hand Tool and Small Motor Maintenance and Repair for Horticulturists and Home Gardeners

The garden shed can sometimes be an overwhelming experience. Years of tools and dust often pile up in corners and hang unused on the walls. Rusty pruners, a broken shovel, a decade old weed whacker and a wobbly wheelbarrow haunt a gardener’s dreams.

Come to Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, on May 2 at 7 pm and learn how to repair and revive old tools as well as how to maintain the new ones. In this Mass Hort class we will cover the basic maintenance of hand tools and small motor/electric tools such as chainsaws and weed whackers. We will sharpen pruners, repair shovels and even clean the air filter on a motor. Please bring your hand pruners and a sharpening stone if you have them. Handouts will be provided but bring a pen and paper to take notes.

Instructor Nate McCullin is an accomplished horticulturist with over 15 years of hands on experience designing, installing and maintaining gardens and landscapes in the Northeast. After completing a degree in Landscape Horticulture and Plant Science from the University of Delaware, Nate headed north to New England. Since arriving in Southeast Massachusetts he has worked in a variety of horticultural settings including public gardens, residential landscapes, estate management and many different commercial settings. His wide range of experience combined with a modern sustainable approach have enabled Nate to create aesthetically pleasing landscapes that also retain high functionality whether it be for stormwater control, drought tolerance or supporting local fauna. From bulbs to bushes, containers to perennials and everything else between the soil and canopy Nate knows how to create beautiful and resilient outdoor spaces that his clients will enjoy for years to come.

$12 for Massachusetts Horticultural Society members, $20 general admission. Register at www.masshort.org.

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Saturday, April 27, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Arbor Day Celebration and Tree Giveaway

Come to Garden in the Woods in Framingham on April 27 from 10 – 3 for a fun-filled, family-friendly day to celebrate trees and forests, with a lecture and book-signing with Richard Drori, author of Around the World in 80 Trees (the talk is free but pre-registration recommended: www.nativeplanttrust.org). There will be children’s activities, games, art projects and investigation stations throughout the Garden. Adults can enjoy guided tours and workshops on planting and pruning trees. One hundred trees will be given away on a first come, first-served basis. Free of charge with Garden Admission.

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